Karol's 12 (Completed) + 4 Read What You Own Challenge 2023

[Karol]

Need to get to more of the books I own, either hard copies on my bookshelves or Kindle reads.

Six from my shelves:
1. Agatha Christie - Crooked House Finished 2/14/2023. 4/5 stars
2. Agatha Christie - Ordeal by Innocence Finished 2/19/2023, 5/5 stars
3. Agatha Christie - The Seven Dials Mystery Finished 2/2/2023, 4/5 stars
4. Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist Finished 3/26/2023, 4/5 stars
5. Alton Gansky - Marked for Mercy Finished 4/8/2023, 4/5 stars
6. Laura Lebow - The Figaro Murders Finished 3/30/2023, 5/5 stars

Six from my Kindle:
7. Joanna Campbell Slan - Photo, Snap, Shot Finished 1/9/2023, 3/5 stars
8.Joanna Campbell Slan - Make, Take, Murder Finished 1/28/2023, 4/5 stars
9. Joanna Campbell Slan - Ready, Scrap, Shoot Finished 1/30/2023, 2/5 stars
10. Marcela Serrano - Ten Women Finished 2/28/2023, 2/5 stars
11.Sofía Segovia - The Murmur of Bees Finished 3/8/2023, 4/5 stars
12. Susana López Rubio - The Price of Paradise Finished 3/18/2023, 4/5 stars

4 More from Kindle, Just in Case I Want to Continue:
1. Sara Rosett - Death in the English Countryside Finished 4/12/2023, 5/5 stars
2. R. William Rogers - Toward A New Beginning Finished 5/15/2023, 2/5 stars
3. Tracie Peterson - Land of My Heart Finished 5/29/2023, 4/5 stars
4. C.A. Pack - The Library of Illumination Finished 5/23/2023, 4/5 stars

[Bill, Moderator]

I'm only familiar with the Agatha Christie selections. One of the great classic mystery authors. I'll have to check out your other books. Good luck in 2023.

[Carolien]

Ten Women should go on my list. I look forward to your thoughts!

[Karol]

Thanks, Bill and Carolien!

[Lea]

I haven't read any of these books, some are brand new to me! I love that about a book list!

I'm going to do this one year, only put books that I own on the list. Just not this year. I'm also going to read Agatha Christie again one year. Just not this year. :-)

[Jackie]

These are new to me. Good luck!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Karol wrote: "Need to get to more of the books I own, either hard copies on my bookshelves or Kindle reads..."

You and me both! Not familiar with the titles, but these authors; yes! I think I am on Hercule Poirot 15 (??) and Miss Marple 4. Ugh.

Good luck and happy reading, Karol!

[Karol]

Lea wrote: "I haven't read any of these books, some are brand new to me! I love that about a book list!

I'm going to do this one year, only put books that I own on the list. Just not this year..."

I hear you! The trouble is, I've purchased so many books over the years that I REALLY need to start cleaning them out. 12+6 makes at least a small dent.

[Ioana]

I have so many books on my Kindle, I should try to read some of them, too. Great idea, happy reading!

[Karol]

Ioana wrote: "I have so many books on my Kindle, I should try to read some of them, too. Great idea, happy reading!"

Thanks, Ioana!

[Vikki, Moderator]

Good luck with your challenge - good idea to split it between physical and Kindle books

[Jennifer, Moderator]

I read The Murmur of Bees last year -- curious to see what you think about it, Karol! I liked it despite it not being my usual thing at all.

[Denise]

I have a few of these on my TBR. Wish you the best of luck with your challenge.

[Karol]

One done!

[Karol]

To get started on this challenge, I read the remaining 3 books in a boxed set of #1-6 in the Kiki Lowenstein mystery series by Joanna Campbell Slan. Not my favorite series at all, and I particularly disliked the 6th book. There were some good moments, however, so not a total loss either.

On to some Agatha Christie, I think.

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Karol wrote: "To get started on this challenge, I read the remaining 3 books in a boxed set of #1-6 in the Kiki Lowenstein mystery series by Joanna Campbell Slan. Not my favorite series at all, and I particularl..."

Sorry those didn't work for you, but you made progress; so that is something.

[Karol]

Halfway through the "12" challenge, but I'll likely read all 12 + 4.

The three Agatha Christie novels were all great! They were from an anthology of "lost classics". Of the three, I enjoyed Ordeal by Innocence the most. It got me thinking about the impact of an incorrect conviction on people close to a victim.

In all three novels, the author put the solution to the mystery in plain view. Yet, I did not grasp it until the end.

[Karol]

Carolien wrote: "Ten Women should go on my list. I look forward to your thoughts!"

Carolien, to me, Ten Women was a bit of a disappointment. It is presented basically as 10 different monologues - the women are sharing their stories with each other, but there are no interactions. I would have liked it better had the author wrote it with some give and take among the different women present, instead of long monologues that tended to grow tiresome.

I just finished it today, gave it 2/5 stars.

[Karol]

Jennifer wrote: "I read The Murmur of Bees last year -- curious to see what you think about it, Karol! I liked it despite it not being my usual thing at all."

I finished reading it yesterday. I liked it very much indeed. It took me a little while to figure out the family connections in the first few chapters, but once I got that straight in my head it flowed along nicely. The story really pulled me in!

[Bonnie]

What a good challenge idea- think I'll steal it next year. I stole my seasonal/holiday one this year and my series books one the year before :)

[Bonnie]

Karol wrote: "Carolien wrote: "Ten Women should go on my list. I look forward to your thoughts!"

Carolien, to me, Ten Women was a bit of a disappointment. It is presented basically as 10 differe..."

this is on my kindle and has been awhile and is not marked read, so I assume it was one of many did not finish kindles for me.

[Karol]

Bonnie wrote: this is on my kindle and has been awhile and is not marked read, so I assume it was one of many did not finish kindles for me"

I have some of those, too! I finished this one, hoping it would sort of all pull together but it didn't really do that.

[Karol]

Really enjoyed a free Kindle book. Some of those freebies have been disappointed, but The Price of Paradise was quite interesting. Rough language and situations, but still highly readable. Great storytelling.

[Alissa]

You are CRUSHING this challenge, way to go!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

9 Down, 3 to go. I think you should do a 2nd list, or have you?? LOL

[Karol]

Alondra wrote: "9 Down, 3 to go. I think you should do a 2nd list, or have you?? LOL"

Ha! I don't think I'll be doing a 2nd list. I'm also doing the Motley challenge this year and I have an independent challenge also. I do like this challenge, though, because it helps me prioritize the stuff I really want to get to!

[Karol]

For some reason, I went back and looked at the original description of the 12 + 4 challenge. Somehow, I missed the part about "0ne book a month" until just now. LOL.

I have completed the 12 but I'm certain I'll come back and finish the +4 within the next few months.

For the 12, I really enjoyed getting through some of the books I've been meaning to get to for a long time.

[Carolien]

Congratulations, Karol! That's amazing that you completed it in basically 3 months! And I need to add The Figaro Murder to my TBR based on your rating.

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Karol wrote: "For some reason, I went back and looked at the original description of the 12 + 4 challenge. Somehow, I missed the part about "0ne book a month" until just now. LOL.

I have completed the 12 but I'..."

You don't haaavve to do 1 book a month; even though, that is basically what I end up doing. LOL

You don't have to read the last 4; they're just there in case you need it.

Congratulations!

[Bonnie]

Alondra wrote: "Karol wrote: "For some reason, I went back and looked at the original description of the 12 + 4 challenge. Somehow, I missed the part about "0ne book a month" until just now. LOL.

I have completed..."

I usually end up reading some of my alternatives, but as actual alternatives to books I don't finish. I like not feeling I have to finish books I don't like - unless sometimes I do it for a bookclub.

[Lea]

Congratulations on completing your challenge! And you definitely don't need to finish one book per month. If that were the case, I don't think I'd ever make the challenge. One month I read 4 books on the list, the next two months none. :-) :-) :-)

[Karol]

Carolien wrote: "Congratulations, Karol! That's amazing that you completed it in basically 3 months! And I need to add The Figaro Murder to my TBR based on your rating."

Thanks, Carolien. If you like mysteries set in the past, this really is a nice read.

[Karol]

Alondra wrote: "You don't have to read the last 4; they're just there in case you need it.

Congratulations."

Thanks, Alondra! I will probably get to the 4, (now 3, as I've already gotten to one of them) but we'll see how it goes.

[Karol]

Bonnie wrote: I usually end up reading some of my alternatives, but as actual alternatives to books I don't finish. I like not feeling I have to finish books I don't like."

I'm with you on that! I typically have a 50-page limit . . . if I really don't feel like finishing a book at that point, I let it go. At least for a while . . . . sometimes it all depends on what mood I am in.

[Karol]

Lea wrote: "Congratulations on completing your challenge! And you definitely don't need to finish one book per month. If that were the case, I don't think I'd ever make the challenge."

Thanks, Lea. I have to admit it feels nice to have finished one challenge fairly early in the year . . . I still have others to work on!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Bonnie wrote: "I usually end up reading some of my alternatives, but as actual alternatives to books I don't finish. I like not feeling I have to finish books I don't like - unless sometimes I do it for a bookclub..."

I try to, as well; but I think one year I just couldn't do it. I was hating everything, and barely finished the list. Ugh

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Karol wrote: "Thanks, Alondra! I will probably get to the 4, (now 3, as I've already gotten to one of them) but we'll see how it goes..."

You're doing awesome! :)

[Lillie]

Congrats on finishing the challenge! Are you thinking of putting up a second list?

[Karol]

Lillie wrote: "Congrats on finishing the challenge! Are you thinking of putting up a second list?"

No second list for me! I think I will focus next on the Motley challenge . . . and then I want to do my local library's summer reading challenge which will start right after Memorial Day.

[Karol]

I decided, after finishing the Motley challenge, to come back and read the remaining 4. Actually, one of them was already done . . .

So then I read "Toward a New Beginning" and it was a bit of a clunker.

I'm doggedly returning to the list, though, and will try Chronicles: The Library of Illumination next.

[Patricia]

Congrats on finishing your challenge. I'm with you on not doing another one because I have several other challenges going. I'll do good to finish any of them. I see you read several Christie books. I'm reading Marple: Twelve New Mysteries for a book club. I'll be leading the discussion, so reading up on Christie & Miss Marple. I have a few favorites, but have not read them all, so want to do that.
Happy Reading!

[Lillie]

Karol wrote: "I'm doggedly returning to the list, though, and will try Chronicles: The Library of Illumination next."

That looks fun. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

[Karol]

Lillie wrote: "Karol wrote: "I'm doggedly returning to the list, though, and will try Chronicles: The Library of Illumination next."

That looks fun. Can't wait to see what you think of it."

Lillie, I liked "Library" quite well. I think it's a Young Adult book . . . it was so creative and lively. Of course, being science fiction and a bit of a romp, one has to suspend belief a little. I enjoyed all the characters that made cameo appearances through the library and the overall story line was just fun.